Safety device for gas-stoves.



No. 794,904. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

- R. H. WATKINS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GAS STOVBS. APPLICATION rum) HA3. 6, 1905.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GAS-STOVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,904, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed March 6, 1905. Serial No. 248,609.

To 0055 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. W ATKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at est Brownsville, in the county of l/Vashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Gas-Stoves; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for gas stoves or burners.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to be applied to a gas-burner, whereby should the gas be casually put out the same will be automatically turned off, thus preventing the discharge of gas from the burner.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view through a gas heating-stove, showing the application of the invention thereto; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail horizon tal sectional view through the cut-off valve of the gas-supply pipe and the parts connected thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a gas-stove, which may be of any form, but which is here shown as a gas heating-stove. Within the stove 1 is arranged a burner-pipe 2, with which is connected the usual mixer 3, and the gas-supply pipe 4, in which is arranged a cut-off valve 5.

In the stove 1 immediately above the burnerpipe 2 is arranged a thermostat-bar 6, one end of which is secured to one side of the stove, while the opposite end thereof projects through and has a loose sliding engagement with an aperture in the opposite side of the gasstove, as shown. To the outer projecting end of the thermostat-bar 6 is pivotally connected the upper end of a lever 7, which is pivotally mounted in a bracket 8, secured to the adjacent outer side of the stove 1.

To the lower end of the lever 7 is pivotally connected one end of a horizontally-disposed rack-bar 9, which is adapted to rest on and engage a gear-wheel 10, loosely mounted upon the stem 12 of the cut-off valve 5. bar 9 is held in engagement with the gearwheel 10 by means of a guide bar or bracket 13, which engages the upper side of said rackbar, as shown.

In order that the gear-wheel 10 may be locked in engagement with the stem 12 of the valve to turn the same, a suitable clutch mechanism is provided. This mechanism consists of a pair of right-angularlyformed levers which are pivotally mounted in the inner end of the valve-stem 12, as shown. The short ends of the levers 14: are adapted to bear upon the outer face of a gear-wheel 10, said levers being provided with a strong V-shaped spring 15, which is arranged between the same to normally force the outer ends of the levers apart and to hold the inner short ends thereof into tight frictional engagement with the face of the gear-wheel 10, as shown, thereby locking the gear-wheel in engagement with the stem of the valve, so that when said gear-wheel is turned the valve-stem will also be turned to close the valve.

When it is desired to turn on the gas, the outer ends of the levers 14 are grasped between the thumb and finger and forced together, thereby disengaging the short ends of the same from the gear-wheel, which will permit the valve to be turned by said levers without turning the gear-wheel 10, thus turning on the gas. As soon as the levers are released the short ends of the same will again be forced in engagement with the gear-wheel 10 by means of the spring 15, thereby locking said wheel to the valve-stem.

In operation, after the gas has been turned The rack-' on and lighted, as herein described, the thermostat-bar 6 will expand under the heat from the burner, which will cause the outer end of the bar to be projected beyond its normal position on the gas-stove. In order to allow IOO for such expansion while the thermostat-bar is being heated, the operative parts may be disconnected from the thermostat-bar at any suitable point, so that the same will not be acted upon by the expansion of the thermostat-bar. After the bar 6 has become heated and expanded to its full capacity the same is again connected to the rack-bar 9. Should the gas now be casually extinguished, the thermostat-bar will immediately cool, and in cooling will contract, thereby rocking the lever 7 in the bracket 8, which will cause the same to shift the rack-bar, which, acting upon the gear-wheel 10, will turn the valve-stem 12 and .valve 5 to close the same and out 01f the supply of gas to the burner, thus preventing the escape of the same.

While I have shown and described the invention in use in connection with a gas-stove, it isobvious that the same may be applied to any form of gas-burner and will operate to close the valve upon the accidental extinguishing of the gas-light, as herein described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the miner details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a safety device for gas-burners, the combination with a thermostat-bar arranged over the burner, said bar being fixedly connected at one end and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a pivotally-mounted lever, of a rack-bar pivotally connected to the opposite end of said lever, a guide-bar for said rackbar, a gear-wheel loosely mounted on the stem of the burnervalve, and right-angularly formed spring-actuated clutch-levers comprising two arms of right-angular formation pivoted to said stem to engage said gearwheel frictionally and normally lock the same to said valve-stem, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD H. W'ATKINS.

Witnesses:

MARY WHnTznL, HARRY A. (JoL'roN. 

